Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-08-17

and Piper City, and as the dead were laid
reyerently alongside of each other in the
corpfield, there were ready hands to take
them into Chatsworth, while some of the
wounded were carried to Piper City. One
hundred and eighteen was the awful poll
of the dead, while the wounded number
four times that many. The full tale of the
dead cannot, however, be told yet for days.
| Chatsworth was turned into morgue to-
day. The town hall, the engine-house, the
depot were all full of dead bodies, while
every house in the little village has it's
ouota of the wounded There were over
100 corpses lying in the extemporized dead
houses, and every man and. woman was
| turned into an amateur but Jealous nurse.
Over in lumber-yard the noise Of ham
mers and saws rang out in the air, and busy
carpenters were making rough coffins to
carry to their homes the dead bodies of the
excnrsionists who twelve hours before ha0
left their homes full of pleasurable expec-
tations of the enjoyment they were going
to have during the vacation which had be-
gun.
PITIFUL SCENES.
|, When the news of the disaster was first
flashed over the wires, proper aid was at
once sent. DR.. Steel, chief surgeon OF the
Toledo. Peoria and Western Road, had
come on a special train, and with him were
two other surgeons and their assistants.
From Peoria also came Doctors Baker,
Fleuegler and johnson, and from every city
whence the unfortunate excursionists had
come their physicians and friends hurried
on to help them. From Peoria had also
come delegations of the Red Men and the
Ancient Order of United Workmen, mem
bers of bath societies being on the Inflated
train: and SO after o'clock in the morning,
there were plenty of people to do the work
that needed such prompt attention. In the
town hall was the main hospital, and In it
anxious relatives and sorrowing friends sat,
and. tanning gently the sufferers faces,
oueried the attending surgeons as they
b0uud up the wounds and insisted that
there must be hope. Down in the dead
houses fathers, husbands, brothers, sisters,
wives and children tearfully inspected each
face as it was uncovered, and sighed as the
features were unknown, or cried out in an
orish when the we'll known face, sometimes
/ fearfully mangied but yet recognizable, was
uncovered. The entire capacity Of the lit:
tie village was taxed, and kind-hearted
women drove in from miles to give theil
Agentle n,inistrations to the sufferers.
RoBBING THE UNFoRTUNATEs.
| Nosoener had the wreck occurred, than a
scene of robbery commenced. Some band
of unspeakable miscreants, heartieaG and
with only animal instincts, plundered the
dead from this terrible accident, and took
even the shoes which covered their feet
Who these yretches are is not now known.
Whether they were band Of pickpoclgets
who accompanied the train or some robbei
gang who were lurking in the vicinity can.
not be said. The horrible suspicion, how.
lever. exists, and there are many who give
it credit, that the accident was delber
ateiy planned case Of t1ain-wrecking; that
the bridge was set on fire by iniseraantE
who hoped to seize the opportunity offered,
land the fact that the bridge Was SO far con
Isumed at ilsc time the train came along.
and the added fact that the train was al
hour and half late, are pointed out as ev-
lidence of careful conspiracy. They went
Into the cars when the fire was burning
fiercely underneath, and, when the pool
wretches who were pinned there begged
them "for GODS sake to help them out, .
i stripped them Of their watches and jewel
ry, and searched their pockets for money
When tie dead bodies were laid out i'll tho
corn fields, these hyenas turned them Ovsl
in their search for valuabies; and that tnt
was proven by the fast thai this morning
out in the cornfleld, sixteen purses, a.
empty, were found in one heap. 1t was 8
lghastIy plunderipg, and had the plumber
ers been caught this afternoon, they would
surely have been lynched.
ADDITIONAL FROM IKE SCENE OF THE DIS
/ AsTER.
| CHICAGO, August PA special fron
Forest, H., says: ''The coroner's inqnes
on the bodies of those killed in the disaste
ednesday night which began last evening
was held on the top aoor of the public
school house. There we're present only thu
coroner, the jury, President Leonard, G
the Toledo, Peoria and Western railroad
Superintendent Armstrong, of the same
road, Master Of Bridges. Markley, Justice o
Peace Estes, and several reporters of thu
Chicago and Peoria papers.
The first witness called was Superlntend
ent Armstrong. lie testified that he wa
on The fatal train, which consisted of sis
sleeping cars, two chair cars, five passenger
coaches, one special car and ore baggage
car, and vas drawn by engine 10. IS, En-
qineer McClint0c!s and Firemen Apple
green, and engine No. 21, Engineer Ed
Switzerland. Engine No. 10 was next tt
the baggage car. The name ofthe fireman
Of engine No. 81 the witness did not recol
lect. His car Tas next to the baggage car
The train left ChatsvOrth about II: Al
Wednesday night. After leaving he yen
into his own car aud sat there three ant
four minutes, when he felt g fearful shocl
TO the train. The next instant the car pass
ed ever the burning bridge. He was thrown
Eout Of one Of the windows iuto hedg'
| fence, lie got up and asked one Of the fro
men where the first engine was end wa
told that Engineer Sutherland had gone *
G;lnen for help. The engineer came ii
about three quarters Of an hour with thu
doctors.
The wounded was taken out oft!e wreck
where it was possible, and sent to Chats
worth aud Piper City, while all Of the deat
were sent to Chatsworth. The bridge wa
only partially demolished when the witness
first saw it, the stringers at both ends haV
ing gone down. Dirt and brush we're thrown
on the flames. The engine set fire TO moth
Jag. and only one car and Pullman sleep
er were slightly burned.
The wjtness met tbs section foreman nea
the wreck after the occurrence, and the lat
ter said he went over the section at 5:5
!, Wednesday, and there was no tire ther'
then. The witness had warned him Il
nave tne ScctiOn uaEES 20 t4scI tAo ooCttoi
after quitting work, knowing that an OK
cursion train was going over the road tia
night. No train went over the bridge at
ter $50 Wednesday. Witness counted ths
tickets before reaching Chatsworth aut
found that there were a few over 600 per
ssous on the train. He said be believed
sthere were only three Or feur dead persons
in Piper City. Witness did not think i
possible that nybody could have bsen 81
fendish as to burn the bridge
CORONER INQUEST.
CHICAGO, Aug. IA special to tbs
Times frem Forest, Ill says: "Ths
coroner's inquest On the bodies Of thnsf
killed in the disaster Of Wednesday night
which began last evening", was held GU the
top floor of the public schoolhouse. This
first witness called was Superintendent
Armstrong He testified that-he met iht
section foreman near fte Yraclc after The
occurrence, aud the latter said that he vent
over the section at $50 "Wednesday, and
| thera Was M Fl re tbaro then Ihp xyitpscs